Hahira, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Hahira · Lowndes County, Georgia
Population 3,404 (est. 2026: ~3,600)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 1.38% annual growth projection

Hahira, Georgia

Lowndes County, Georgia · Population 3,384

Hahira sits about 12 miles north of Valdosta along US-129, a small city in the heart of South Georgia's flatwoods country. It is not a suburb pretending to be its own place — Hahira has its own city limits, its own schools, and its own municipal government, while remaining firmly in Valdosta's orbit for hospitals, shopping, and most employment. The surrounding landscape is tobacco country, pine timber, and open agricultural land, and the town reflects that: working-class, family-oriented, and younger than almost any comparable Georgia community. With a median age of just 26.0, Hahira skews toward young families in a way that shapes everything from school enrollment to housing demand.

People & Demographics

Hahira's 3,361 residents make it a small city by any measure, roughly 2.9% of Lowndes County's 118,251 people. The population is predominantly white (2,431), with 479 Black residents and 313 identifying as Hispanic or Latino. The median age of 26.0 is strikingly low — Georgia's statewide median hovers closer to 37 — which reflects the concentration of young families here. Of 3,361 residents, 1,166 are children under 18, meaning more than one in three people in Hahira is a minor. Average household size is 3.21 people, and 837 of 1,046 households are family households. This is a town of households with kids, not retirees or students.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Hahira is $67,143, which compares favorably to many rural Georgia communities and modestly exceeds Georgia's overall median. Per capita income sits at $26,680, reflecting the large household sizes that distribute income across more people. Of 1,615 residents in the labor force, 76 are unemployed — an unemployment rate of approximately 4.7%. Poverty affects 206 residents. Most employment is drawn toward Valdosta, which hosts the region's larger employers across healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and Moody Air Force Base. Hahira itself functions largely as a residential community for workers commuting south.

Housing

Every one of Hahira's 1,046 housing units is occupied — the vacancy rate in the ACS data is effectively zero, which signals real pressure on local supply. Owner-occupied units total 741 (about 70.8%), with 305 renter-occupied units. The median home value is $144,200, a figure that reflects South Georgia's affordability compared to the state's urban markets. Median rent runs $1,149 per month, which is notable for a town this size and likely reflects both the tight vacancy situation and Valdosta's regional rental market pulling rates upward. For buyers, $144,200 represents genuine affordability for working families — a meaningful contrast to what the same income buys closer to Atlanta or Savannah.

Schools

Hahira operates two schools within the Lowndes County Schools system:

High school students attend Lowndes County High School in Valdosta. The elementary and middle schools together serve more than 1,600 students, a substantial enrollment relative to the town's total population, which confirms that Hahira draws students from surrounding rural areas within the county.

Getting Around

Hahira is a car-dependent community without exception. Of 1,539 workers, 1,308 drove alone to work and 121 carpooled. Zero workers used public transit, and zero walked. Eighty-seven residents worked from home. With aggregate travel time across all workers at 37,225 minutes, the average one-way commute works out to roughly 24 minutes — consistent with a commute to Valdosta and back. There is no local transit service; a personal vehicle is required for virtually all daily activity.

Healthcare

The nearest significant medical facilities are in Valdosta. SGMC Health (South Georgia Medical Center) is the regional hospital system serving Lowndes County and surrounding counties. Greenleaf Center provides behavioral health services in the Valdosta area. Both are accessible within a short drive south on US-129. For a directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Hahira, the NPI Registry lists licensed providers by city.

Library

The Salter Hahira Library serves the community locally and is part of the Valdosta-Lowndes County public library system. Phone: (229) 794-3063. It is one of the few institutions that places a public resource directly inside the city limits rather than requiring a drive to Valdosta.

Natural Hazards

Lowndes County has seen repeated FEMA disaster declarations across multiple hazard types, and the record since 1998 is extensive:

The pattern is clear: South Georgia's location makes it a recurrent target for Atlantic and Gulf storm systems that track inland. The 2024 season was particularly active, with Lowndes County receiving four separate federal declarations within two months. Residents should maintain hurricane preparedness plans and flood insurance awareness as baseline practice, not occasional concern.

Government & Municipal Code

Hahira's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/hahira. The city does not have a locally adopted building code on file in the Municode system.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Hahira are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts for the area are posted at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is HAHIRA 3.6 SE, approximately 3.5 miles from the city center.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)